Abstinence only education teaches social, psychological, and health is gained only by abstaining from sexual activity. It totally avoids specific discussions of contraception or safer sex. They teach abstinence from sexuality activity outside marriage is the expected standard for all school age children. It teaches that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other health problems. They teach sexual activity outside of marriage has harmful psychological and physical effects. It teaches young people how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increase vulnerability to sexual advances; and teaches the importance of reaching self-reliance before any sexual activity. (Stepp)

Local and state laws mandate what kind of sex education can be taught. Many schools limit what the teachers can do in there classrooms. 22%of sex education teachers surveyed reported that their schools restricted their ability to answer questions. (Eisner)

When asked what they consider their most important messages, four in 10 teachers in 1999 cited abstinence, up from one in four in 1988. Seven in 10 teachers think that students who receive education that stresses abstinence are less likely to have intercourse than students who do not. (Stepp) At the same time, 86% think that students who are taught to use contraceptives if they are sexually active are more likely to do so than are students who do not receive similar instruction. While teachers now consider that contraception should be taught later than they did in the late 1980s, 93% still favor covering it; half believe it should be taught in grade seven or earlier. Yet one in four teachers are told not to teach the topic. (http://www.agi-usa.org)

Ferguson, Dawn B. "Parents Want Schools To Teach More Sex Education." Curriculum Review December 2000: 20

Colwell, Brian. "Sex Instruction For Teenagers": Journal For

"Congress allocated $50 million in federal funds for the program each year for federal fiscal years 1998 through 2002. By the end of the program's five guaranteed years, America will have spent nearly half a billion dollars on the abstinence-only-until-marriage education program. During the first year of the program, 48 states accepted the federal funds and provided support for 698 abstinence-only-until-marriage grants for education agencies, community-based organizations, and statewide programs. (Colwell)

Kanabus, Annabel Does Sex Education Work? AVERT 2000

Some common words found in the essay are:
Tina Hoff, Stepp Abstinence, Eisner Talking, Education Comprehensive, Education Abstinence, Ed Sex, Disease Control, Education Sexuality, Control KanabusThe, Kanabus Six, sex education, sex ed, sexuality education, sexual activity, birth control, sexually transmitted diseases, sex parents, sexual relationships, taught school, attitudes beliefs, parents sex, comprehensive sexuality education, pregnancy sexually transmitted, approach information contraceptive, abstinence-only sex education,
Approximate Word count = 1890
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)